Folding car step and door.



A. V. WINEGARDEN. FOLDING GAR STEP AND DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED OOT.8, 1913.

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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APPLICATION FILED 00T.B, 1913.

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Amy F WITNESSES ATTORN EY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AREY WINEGAIR-DEN, 0F ELIDORADO, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 ARTHURJ. PALMER, OF ELDORADO, KANSAS.

FOLDING CAR STEP .ANID DOOR.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AREY V. WINEGAR- DEN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Eldorado, in the county ofButler and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Folding CarStep and Door, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in folding car steps and trapdoors.

The object of the present invention is to simplify and improve theconstruction of folding car steps and doors, more especially thatv shownand described in Patent No. 1,052,636, granted to me Feb. 11, 1913, andincrease the etliciency, strength and durability of the same and toarrange practically all the mechanism in the space beneath the fixedstep.

The invention also has for its object to enable the folding step and thetrap door to be operated either simultaneously or independently asdesired.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claimshereto appended: it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope ofthe claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is an end elevation partly in section of aportion of a car provided with a folding step and trap door, constructedin accordance with this invention, the parts being folded. Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view, taken transversely of the car, the foldablestep being extended and the trap door being raised. Fig. 3 is a similarview, taken at a point beyond the inner side of the side steps, thedevice being shown in elevation. Fig. 1 is a reverse plan view partly insection. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view, illustrating theconstruction of the mechanism for opening and closing the trap door.Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view, illustrating the construction formounting and actuating the foldable step.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 8, 1913.

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

Serial No. 794,097.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferredembodiment of the invention, the folding extension step comprises in itsconstruction a riser 1 and a tread 2, hinged together by intermediateand lower leaves 3 and 4 and a connecting lower pintle 5 passing throughalined eyes in the adjacent ends of the leaves. The intermediate andbottom leaves 3 and 4, which are located at the ends of the foldingstep, are provided at the lower edge of the riser 1 and at the inneredge of the tread 2 with angle bends G and 7, and the outer ends of thebottom leaves 1 are connected by a bar 8, riveted or otherwise securedto the leaves 4 and having its upper edge flush with the upper faces ofthe said leaves, which are angularly bent at 9 to arrange the parts inflush relation. The intermediate leaves 3 are provided at their upperends with eyes for the reception of an upper pintle rod 10, which alsopasses through eyes of the upper leaves 11. and the latter are securedto the lowermost step of the fixed flight 12, as

clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The hinges permit the riser 1 to swing upwardly and inwardly beneath thefixed bottom step, and the tread 2 swings upwardly and folds against theriser 1. The folding step is securely supported in its extended oroperative position by means of the foldable stays or braces, composed ofupper and lower links or sections 13 and l-l, connected together at.their adjacent ends by pivots 15 and pivoted at their other ends to theupper pintle 10 and the connecting bar 8, respectively. The upper pintle10 and the connecting bar 8 have their ends reduced to form terminalpivots 1t and 17, and the upper ends of the lower links or sections ofthe foldable stays or braces are provided with integral inwardlyextending lugs or flanges 18, forming stops and arranged to engage withthe rear edges of the upper links or sections 13 adjacent to the lowerends thereof to limit the outward swing of the links, so that the staysor braces will break and fold easily when the extension step is folded.

The folding or extension step is actuated by a transverse rock shaft 19,journaled in suitable bearings of brackets 20 and provided adjacent toits ends with straight arms 21, bifurcated at their outer ends toreceive short arms 22 of approximately L- shaped links 23, extendingfrom the arms 21 of the rock shaft to the lower pintle 5 and pivoted tothe steps by the terminals 24 of the said pintle 5. The rock shaft isadapted to be rotated to swing the arms 21 outwardly to extend thefolding step and in Wardly to fold the said step and the arms 22, whichare formed by short bends of the links 23, permit the arms of the rockshaft to drop to the position illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings toform a lock for firmly retaining the folding step in its extendedposition. The brackets 20, which are substantially L-shaped, are securedto the fixed fiight of steps 12 at opposite sides thereof and areprovided with depending supports 25, approximately l -shaped to extendbeneath the links 23 and limit the downward movement of the arms 21 andfor supporting the parts in their locking position. The folding step isguided in its inward and outward movements by means of a central rear-Wardly extending bar or member 26, having an outer attaching portion 27and. an inner loop 28. The outer attaching ortion 27 1s secured to thelower face of t e tread 2 at the center thereof and the loop 28 receivesand forms a slidable connection with the rock shaft 19.

The rock shaft 19 carries at its outer end a vertically disposedmutilated pinion or gear 29, which meshes with a horizontal mutilatedpinion or gear 30 of a vertical shaft 31 extending through the platform32 of the car or coach 33 and equipped at its upper end with a crankhandle 34. The upper end of the shaft 31 is journaled in a suitablebearing of a bracket 35 having a horizontal flange 36 and provided atopposite sides of its bearing with perforations 37, adapted to beengaged by a locking pin or projection 38 for retaining the crank handlein the position occupied by it when the folding step is extended, andalso in the position occupied by the handle when the said step isfolded. The pin 38 is slidably mounted in a perforation 39- of thehandle 84 and is provided at its upper end with a head 40, engaged by aspring 41 and pivoted by a rivet 42 or other suitable fastening deviceto a pair of ears 43 of a latch lever 44. The latchlever 44, which is ofbell crank form, is pivoted at its angle at 45 being composed ofvertical and horizontal arms and having spaced sides located at oppositesides of the crank handle and connected at the vertical arm to form ahandle, which is arranged adjacent to the grip portion of the crankhandle. The ears 43 are carried by the spaced sides of the bell cranklever at the horizontal arm thereof, and the spring 41, which is securedat one end to the crank handle, has its other end free and bearingagainst the head of the locking pin. When the locking pin is at thelimit of its downward'movement,

as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing, and the vertical arm orhandle portion of the latch lever is spaced from the grip of the crankhandle, and is adapted when the latter is grasped by the operator to becompressed and moved in the direction of the said grip portion of thecrank handle to lift the locking pin out of engagement with the flangeof the bracket 35 to free the'vertical shaft and permit the same to bepartially rotated to fold or extend thefolding step. The gearing forcommunicating motion from the vertical shaft to the horizontal roekshaft, is preferably arranged within a suitable gear case 46 ofsubstantially cylindrical form, secured to the outer L-shaped bracket,which also supports a suitable bearing 47 for the lower end of thevertical shaft 31.

The rock shaft 19 is equipped with a cam consisting of a curved arm 48provided with an eccentrically arranged curved slot 49 extendinglongitudinally of the curved arm and gradually receding from the shaftand adapted to actuate a vertically movable rack bar 50, provided at itslower end with a projecting pm 51 carrying an antifriction roller 52,which, operates in the cam slot to provide an easy upward and downwardmovement of the rack bar. The rack bar is provided at its upper end witha series of teeth 53 meshing with a mutilated pinion 54, which issuitably fixed to a pintle 55 of a trap door 56. The trap door.56 isprovided with hinge elements 57 having eyes receiving the pintle 55,which is arranged at the inner side of the fixed flight of car steps topermit. the trap door to swing downwardly over the same to formaeontinuation or extension of the platform in the usual manner forvestibule cars. The rack bar, which is raised and lowered simultaneouslywith the outward and inward movements of the folding step, is arrangedin a lower fixed guide 58 and in an upper adjustable guide 5%),consisting of a lever fulcrumed at an intermediate point on the pintle55 to form upper and lower arms and provided at the outer end of itslower arm with a flange or car 0 having an opening through which therack bar passes. The upper arm is provided with a movable catch (51bifurcated at one end to straddle the upper end of the guide or lever 59and connected with the same by a pivot 62 or other suitable fasteningdevice and adapted to extend inwardly from the upper arm to the adjacentfixed portion of the car to hold the upper arm of the guide or lever 59against inward movement, and the lower arm thereof against outwardmovementfor maintaining the teeth of the rack bar in mesh with thepinion 54 of the pintle 55 to cause a simultai'ieous operation of thefolding step and the trap door. Should, however, it be desired tooperate the trap door and the folding step independently of each other,the catch, which is maintained in the position shown in full lines inFig. 5 of the rawings. b gravity, is swun outwardly to the dott lineosition to ena Ie the lever 59 to be oscillate for carrying the teeth ofthe rack bar out of mesh with the pinion 54 of the pintle 55. This willpermit either the folding etc or the trap door to he operated indepenently.

What is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a platformhaving a fixed step, a folding step hinged to the fixed step, a rockshaft mounted in rear of the folding step and having an arm, a linkconnecting the folding ste with the arm of the rock shaft which 15adapted to be rotated to fold and extend the folding step, said link andarm bein arranged to form a lock for retaining tie foldin step in itsextended position.

2. In a device of the class described, a platform having a fixed step, afolding ste hinged to the fixed step, a rock shaft mounted in rear ofthe folding step and having" an arm, a link connecting the folding stepwith the arm of the rock shaft which is adapted to be rotated to foldand extend the folding step, said link being provided at its innerportion with a relatively short downwardly extending arm arranged topermit the arm of the rock shaft to move downwardly a sufficientdistance to form a lock for holding the folding step in its extendedposition.

3. In a device of the class described, a platform having a fixed step, afolding step hinged to the fixed step, a rock shaft connected with andadapted to move the folding step inwardly and outwardly, and a bar ormember fixed to the folding step and having a sliding connection withthe rock shaft for guiding the folding step in its inward and outwardmovements.

4. In a device of the class described, a platform having a fixed step, afolding step comprising a tread, and a riser hinged to the fixed stepand to the tread, a rock shaft connected with the folding step andarranged to move the same inwardly and outwardly, and a bar or memberfixed to the tread of the folding step and having a slidable connectionwith the rock shaft for guiding the folding step in its inward andoutward movements.

5. In a device of the class described, a platform having a fixed step, afolding step comprising a tread, and a riser hinged to the fixed stepand to the tread, a rock shaft having arms connected with the foldingstep for moving the same inwardly and outwardly, and a bar fixed to thetread and provided with a longitudinal slot receiving the rock shaft andguided by the same.

6. In a device of the class described, a platform having a fixed step, afolding step com rising a tread and a riser hinged to the xed step andto the tread, a bar fixed to and extendin rearwardly from the tread,relatively fixed means arranged in rear of the folding step and slidablyreceiving the said bar for guiding the folding step in its inward andoutward movements, and mechanism connected with the folding step foractuating the same.

7. In a device of the class described, a platform having a fixed step, afolding step comprising a tread and a riser hinged to the folding stepand to the tread, a rock shaft mounted in rear of the folding step andhaving an arm, a link connecting the folding step with the arm of therock shaft, the latter being adapted to move the folding step inwardlyand outwardly and the arm of the rock shaft coacting with the link toform a lock for holding the folding step in its extended position, and asupport arranged to limit the movement of the arm and the link andadapted to support the same in their locking position, and means forrotating the rock shaft.

8. In a device of the class described, a platform having a fixed step, afolding step comprising a tread and a riser hinged to the treadand tothe fixed step, a folding stay or brace pivotally connected at its lowerend with the trend and at its upper end with the fixed step and composedof upper and lower links or sections having means for limiting theirmovement in one direction, and mechanism connected with the folding stepfor extending and folding the same.

9. In a device of the class described, a platform having a fixed step, afolding step hinged to the fixed step, a rock shaft connected with andadapted to actuate the folding step, a vertical shaft, gearing forcommunicating motion from the vertical shaft to the rock shaft, a crankhandle carried by the vertical shaft, and a locking device comprising apin slidably mounted on the crank handle, a spring for holding the pinin a projecting position to lock the crank handle, and a latch leverpivotally mounted on the crank handle and connected with the pin forwithdrawing the same from its engaging position.

I0. In a device of the class described, a platform having a fixed step,a folding step hinged to the fixed step, a rock shaft connected with andadapted to actuate the folding step, a vertical shaft, gearing forcommunicating motion from the vertical shaft to the rock shaft, a crankhandle carried by the vertical shaft, and a locking device comprising apin slidably mounted on the crank handle, a spring for holding the pinin a projectin position to lock the crank han- (He, :1 bell crank latchlever having spaced sides pivotally mounted on and straddling the crankhandle and connected with the" pin, said latch lever being adapted towithdraw the pin from its engaging position.

11. In a device of the class described, a platform having a fixed step,a folding step hinged to the fixed step, a rock shaft connected with andadapted to actuate the folding step, a trap door provided with a gear, apinion arranged to mesh with the gear for actuating the trap door, meanscarried by the rock shaft for reciprocating the rack bar, and means forholding the rack bar in and out of mesh with the pinion to permit eitherasimultaneous or independent operation of the trap door and foldingstep.

12. In a device of the class described, a platform, a fixed step, ahinged trap door having a pinion, a rack mesh with the pinion, and apivotally mounted lever having a guide receiving the rack bar, saidlever being adapted to be oscillated to move the rack bar into and outof mesh with the pinion.

13. In a device of the class described, a platform, a fixed step, ahinged trap door having a pinion, a rack bar arrangedto mesh with leverhaving means for guid ng the rack bar and adapted to be oscillated tocarry the rack bar into and out of mesh with the pinion, and a pivotallymounted gravity lock arranged to hold the lever against movement toretain the rack bar in mesh with the pinion and adapted to be swung fromsuch position to permit the lever to move the rack bar out of mesh withthe pinion.v

14. In a device of the class described, a platform having a fixed step,a hinged trap door having a pinion mounted on the pintleof the trapdoor, a rack bar meshing with bar arranged to the pinion, a pivotallymounted 1 trically arranged the pinion, a lever fulcrumed at anintermediate point on the said pintle and having upwardly and downwardlyextending arms,

the lower arm being provided with a guide receiving the rack bar, and alocking device connectedvwith the upper arm of the lever.

15. In av device of the class described, a platform having a fixed step,a hinged trap door provided with a pinion, a rack bar meshing with thepinion, a rock shaft having a curved arm forming a cam, and means forconnect-ing the curved arm of the rock shaft with the rack bar forreciprocating the latter.

16. In a device of the class described, a platform having a fixed step,a folding step hinged to the platform, ed in rear of the folding stepand having an arm connected with the folding step, a trap door having apinion, a rack bar mesh ing with the pinion, and a cam carried by therock shaft and consisting of a curved arm having a slidable connectionwith the rack bar for reciprocating the same.

17 In a device of the class described, a

platform having a fixed step, a hinged trap door, a pinion connectedtherewith, a rock shaft having a cam provided with an eccencurved slot,and means the rack bar for operating whereby the rack bar shaft isprojecting from in the slot of the cam, will be reciprocated when therock turned.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have heretoafiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

AREY V. WINEGARDEN.

Witnesses: v

CLAY SHRIVER, A. B. EWING.

a rock shaft mount-

